Just For Tonight
by pardum
Summary: It would be like a trial run or a beta test. In seven months, when the wedding was planned to happen, she would tell them who she was.
1. Chapter 1

Ema fidgeted nervously as she stared at the phone in her hands, what if he didn't answer?

She lifted her chin stubbornly, if he didn't answer then she would call as many times as she needed to to get him to answer.

She dialed the number determinedly and when the rings inevitably turned to his voice mail she did not back down and pressed redial.

Over and over again she called until finally he answered.

"Ema." He spoke low and resigned and she refused to feel guilty over the fact.

"you're getting married?" She asked him but there was only silence on the other end.

"How did you find out?"

what she wanted to say was 'you got engaged and i had to find it out from a classmate' but she knew it wouldn't change anything so she took a deep breath before answering his question with a vague response that made her sound more like a spy from one of those movies that he liked so much and less like an eighteen year old girl.

She would not let on to the fact that she had only discovered it because one of the boys in her class had casually mentioned his mothers engagement and that would have meant nothing had she not known his mother was in a relationship with her father.

He gave a tired chuckle

"can't keep anything secret from you, ne?"

It had always been a joke about how she had always managed to find things out that she should have no business knowing but at the moment she felt no amusement.

"were you going to tell me?"

There was once again silence on the other and the she could hear him take a deep breath like he was preparing for war.

"well, you would have wanted some explanation when i told you to move in with your step brothers."

She tightened her grip on the phone.

She had grown up in this apartment, it was like her little haven and he knew that.

"you want me to move out?"

"un." he answered uncomfortably

He spent most of his life moving around the world finding new adventures that he never really understood her desire to just stay in one place.

It was so like him to break the news like this.

"you never do things by half do you?"

but the words did not come out teasingly like she had meant them too, they just came out tired.

"Ema y-"

She hung up on him before he could say anything more.

She was never good at sudden changes and she had called her father expecting him to say that he had broken up with that women weeks ago and some moaning about how fast she had moved on. She had never thought he was actually getting married. Her father, while a good man had jumped from woman to woman all through her life. She had used to joke that he left a broken heart in each place he visited.

She slowly walked backwards until her back hit the wall and then she slid down numbly until she rested with her knee's brought up to her chest and tilted her head back against the wall, she would not cry, it was just a apartment; But it was her apartment.

She did not get to have her pity party for long before she felt a tiny furry body jump on the top of her knee.

"Chii?"

She glanced down at the squirrel before shaking her head.

"Just for tonight" she told him "Let me cry. Just for tonight."

after tonight she would find out more about her soon-to-be family and where she was moving too but right now she needed a good cry.

He jumped on her crossed arms and began nuzzling her chest comfortingly.

"just for tonight" He agreed softly.

She let out a loud sob and curled in on herself, most likely squishing the squirrel but he said nothing and she was all the more thankful for it as she cried her heart out, alone in dark apartment with only a Juli there to comfort her.

VvVvVvVvVvVvV

"You dont have to go, you know" Juli pointed out as she tugged on her coat.

She glanced over at him idly,

"of course i do."

He crawled his way up her and settled down on her shoulder

"i don't see why" he growled, thinking about the filthy men just waiting to get a chance to jump his chii-chan.

Ema giggled as if she knew what he was thinking before looking around the place one last time.

She smiled as she thought of the very few happy memories she had here, but the few she did have were enough for her consider it precious to her.

"What do you know about theses males anyways?" Juli muttered to her sullenly knocking her out of her thoughts.

She absently petted his head while she closed the door

"not much, he sent me the address but that was about it."

"i don't like this, going in there blind! we need to know the enemy!" He puffed himself up as he began to think of all the evil scemes that had no doubt begun to fill the filthy dogs heads.

"not on my watch" then he began to mutter something about preemptive strikes and she shook her head fondly at her little protector.

"Juli, remember, this is just a trial run, if things don't work out..." She didn't bother finishing the sentence, they both knew she had enough in her savings to rent a small apartment.

"i don't see why we cant just get your own apartment right now" He said.

"they will be family soon, i have to give them a chance" she pointed out.

"Family," he scoffed "nothing more than hot blooded males".

Ema chuckled at him fondly and turned the street corner.

"there it is."

"how many son's does she have?" He asked, plans forming in his mind as he stared at the building that would soon be their home.

"thirteen".

She bit her lip to keep a smile from forming as the silence stretched on.

"th-th-thirteen!" He began to hyperventilate

"i thought there would only be two or three- four at the most!" He wailed dramatically.

"im sure you will have no trouble protecting me, even against such unfair odds" she reassured him.

his mood did a one-eighty.

He puffed out his tiny chest and lifted his fluffy tail proudly.

"of course, i could protect you from fift- NO, A HUNDRED HOT BLOODED MALES! thirteen is nothing." he bragged and she stifled her laughter.

"of course" she agreed.

"excuse me."

Ema turned around startled and quickly moved out of the way when she saw the man trying to carry what looked like the whole convenient store in his arms.

"please, let me help."

She examined what could only be one of her knew step-brothers curiously, even as she waved away his protest's.

"it's fine. I promise, i have nothing better to do."

He seemed to waver for a second before sighing

"if you could just help carry a few, that would be wonderful"

"Chii! what are you doing! How can i protect you if you welcome the danger!" Juli bemoaned and Ema rubbed his head soothingly, hoping to keep him silent- at least for a while.

She helped him shift some bags into her hands without letting all the others fall down.

"i live just up here" he started into the building and motioned for her to follow him.

"My name is Masaomi" he introduced himself to her when they finally got inside the elevator, giving her a bow.

Ema attempted to bow back only for the weight in her hands to tip her over and it was only some smooth maneuvering on her own part that kept her from falling on her face.

She blushed embarrassed

"I'm Ema, yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

He smiled at her gently.

"thank you again for this, i didn't know what i would have don't when i finally got to the door"

She shook her head rapidly almost knocking the fuming squirrel off of her head.

"Ieie" she said embarrassed and he chuckled at her.

The conversation was interrupted when the elevator doors opened.

"come on, its just this way."

She followed along, looking around curiously.

"we just moved here" He made small talk while knocking on the door.

"how are you liking it?" she asked to keep the conversation going but she never got an answer as it was only seconds later that the door was open.

The door opened and a handsome blond haired man stepped out with a pink apron over his clothing.

"did you get my-"

Whatever was about to be said was abruptly stopped as he finally saw Ema.

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

So iv started brothers conflict and i have started to get very annoyed with the main character's personality and really the only thing that was going to make me happy was writing a fanfiction were she wasn't as naive, so here it is! i'm hoping to get the next chapter of this out before next weekend so wish me luck!


	2. Chapter 2

Ema fidgeted nervously as the two males stared at her.

It wasn't even all of them either, there was only two here but it was still enough to overwhelm her. What would it be like when they were all here? She felt faint just thinking about it.

"thank you again for the help"

Ema shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at Masaomi.

"it was nothing, really" she insisted.

she saw a both of them shift awkwardly and she could sympathize greatly, it was very awkward.

this was the perfect time to tell them who she was and why she was here, to get it over with, and end the awkward silence but...

Would she really be able to handle living with these people? it was already awkward, how would it be living in the same place as them.

Ema jerked in her seat, startled, when the door slammed open but she relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Oi, has anyone come about the position?"

"Ema-san?" Yuusuke stopped suddenly as he spotted her and Ema wondered if this could get any more awkward.

"you know Ema-san?" Masaomi asked

Yuusuke rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed for some reason.

"we're in the same class" he muttered.

Ema hid a smile at the blush that had started to appear on her usually blunt classmate.

She spotted both of her step brothers doing the same.

"So, why are you here?" Yuusuke asked.

This was it, it was the moment for her to tell them she was their new sister.

She took a deep breath opened her mouth but the words that came out of her mouth were not what she had in mind.

"I came here about the job position"

Ema showed none of the panic that was eating her up on the inside. Why would she say that! She had no idea what the job was or even if she had the capabilities to do it! Hell, she didnt even know if it was a job. Sure he had implied it when he had said it but what if she had completely embarrassed herself by saying that.

She could feel almost feel Juli's exasperation and she shared the feeling. Why did she say that? if she didn't want them to think she was crazy then she would have hit her head on a wall.

"you came for the position?" Yuusuke asked incredulously and Ema forced herself not to show how much she wish she had never opened her mouth in the first place.

Well if your going to start something might as well go all the way.

"I need the money, my father-" she stopped here trying to figure out where she was going with this but she didn't need to say anything else as the incredulous and doubtful expressions disappeared for a look of sympathy and pity.

the blond one smiled at her gently and sat down next to her his oval glasses briefly glinting from the sunlight that was shinning in the room from the window. Ema tilted her head down as if to collect herself. She did not think it would be a good idea for them to see the blush that stained her cheeks.

"Do you have any other experience as a house keeper?" He asked.

A house keeper? She could work with that she thought with relief. She had spent most of her life taking care of both the house and herself with her father away traveling most of the time.

She smiled at him not bothering to hide her relief.

"I'v had to cook for myself for years! and i take care of the house when my father is away" She had never been so glad for having such a lonely childhood. If there was one job she would be good at it was house keeping.

She paused at that thought, why was she thinking about this like she actually wanted the job?

All it would take was just one sentence and she could end this charade but something inside of her didnt want to say anything.

This was such a perfect opportunity to get to know her new brothers without having the status of little sister getting in the way of things. She wanted them to like her not because they had too now that they were family but actually fond of who she was as a person.

It would be like a trial run or a beta test. In seven months, when the wedding was planned to happen, she would tell them who she was.

She straightened herself up and tried to look as professional as possible. She had only ever been at one interview and that had not turned out so well, but at least she learned everything Not to do when in an job interview.

"when i saw the ad i came straight here. I was just so excited" She said sheepishly

"i didn't even think about getting any credentials" She bowed her head in apology.

She saw the two oldest exchange looks before they smiled at her.

"why don't we go up to my study, we can talk things out over a cup of tea"

"Oh, thank you-..." She paused when she realized she didn't know his name

"Ukyo Asahina" He told her while gently leading her up the stairs she had seen earlier.

She followed along willingly and settled down in the small 'study'. It was more like a small room filled with unpacked boxes and law books scattered around the room then a study but she said nothing.

"i'm sorry, as you can see we just moved in" Ukyo apologized

"No, its fine really" she told him while settling down in the arm chair in front of the cluttered desk.

"Now, i'm going to need to know some things before we start" He asked straightening up and she followed suit refusing to feel nervous.

"Your full name?"

"Hinata Ema" she answered promptly.

Since Yuusuke was in her class she knew there was no chance that she could give a fake name.

He looked startled.

"any relation to Hinata Rintarou?"

She had known this question was coming and she knew she could not lie, from the books scattered around the room then he was obviously a lawyer of some type and he would be able to tell if she lied.

"i wouldn't know, i'm adopted"

It wasn't a lie technically, After all she had no idea if she had any blood relation to her father and she was adopted.

His eyes softened and he dismissed the subject.

She had never been so thankful for the ridiculous nickname her father insisted on calling her because she knew he would have been pretty suspicious if she had the same name of the daughter that his mothers fiance bragged about.

A few hours passed and Ema walked out of the room feeling like she had been juiced of every detail of her life but overall feeling good.

She had managed to keep things away from her father and any other things that could point to the fact that she was her fathers child.

She felt pretty confident she got the job and it made her smile, she might be homeless as of two hours ago but for some reason she could not find it in herself to worry.

Everything would work out in the end.

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

Well that was what she thought but as she stared at the door that would lead her to the outside world she hesitated. Where would she go? She didn't have an apartment to go to anymore, and with her new plan she would have no where to go for at least a few days until she could find a cheap apartment.

"Is there something wrong?" Masaomi asked curiously.

Ema hesitated for a moment before sighing right now she didn't really have a choice if she wanted to continue with her plan.

"do you know where any cheap hotels are around here?" She asked quietly.

Masaomi froze.

"why?"

"The apartment that i was living at...well the contract ended. i didn't know what i was going to do until i saw that ad"

It was true in a way, she hadn't known what she was going to do until she had heard Yuusuke mention the position when he had barged into the living room.

"I have enough to rent a small apartment but it will take a few days to find one available"

He stared at her aghast and she titled her head down wishing the earth would swallow her whole.

When she glanced up she actually took a step back.

What had before been a quiet, gentle and unassuming man had been replaced with a fire breathing dragon.

His eyes were lit up in determination and he was standing up completely straight.

"you're staying with us, until you find a place" He declared.

She had no time to argue before he was frog marching her back to the elevator and up to the room.

She smiled somewhat dryly to herself.

'well at least ill have somewhere to sleep tonight.'

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

She fidgeted in the large clothes that Masaomi had given her to wear after she took a shower.

They had to have been some of his old clothes because she looked like a child who was playing dress up with her daddy's clothes.

Her amused smile faded as the thought reminded her of what she needed to do next.

She had been avoiding talking with her father since the call where she had confirmed the rumor, she had only had one brief conversation with him since. Where he had informed her of where her new home was.

She knew everything she had planned would fall apart from one word from him and she couldn't afford that, she hadn't even been here for a day.

She flexed her fingers nervously and sighed.

"You will have to call him if your going through with this" Juli told her from his spot in her lap.

She wasn't used to Juli being the logical one, usually it was her with the level head.

She sighed once more before grabbing the cell phone and typing the number.

"Moshi Moshi."

"i need your help."

There was silence on the other end before she heard him sigh.

"what do you need?" he asked resigned.

VvVvVvVvVvVvV

A/N- i am on a roll with this one and im hoping to get another chapter of it out tonight but who knows.

I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one.

I'll be expanding on a lot of the things that were mentioned, so no comments saying 'this doesn't make sense' or anything like that because it will all be explained!


	3. Chapter 3

She could almost picture the way he was pinching the bridge of his nose on the other side of the phone.

"Ema, really?"

Ema grimace, he never called her by her name unless he was mad at her, it was always 'chii-chan' this and 'Chii-chan' that.

She didn't even know how he knew about the nickname that Juli always used for her, she had always assumed that it was what her birth parents had called her and Juli and him had just picked it up.

With Juli it was cute and adorable but for her father... not so much.

"I want to see if this will work out."

He sighed but really what could he do but agree to go along with it.

She knew he wasn't happy with her, he had always been an honest and upfront type of person and this sounded too much like lying for him to be comfortable with it, but really he was already in her bad graces by trying to hide the fact he was getting married until the last minute and he was willing to go along with the plan if it got him back in her good graces.

She shook her head at how simple of a man he really was.

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

Ema closed the phone and slid it back into her backpack.

"We've had a long day. Why don't you try and get some sleep, ne?" She walked farther into the room that she would be staying at for the next couple of days and set Juli on the bed.

She knew his willingness to go unnoticed would not last for much more, he had been willing earlier because he had known she wanted to make a good impression.

It would still be better if he stayed in here for the night, until she could meet all of the brothers.

Juli glared at her but snuggled down into the bed sheets anyway.

"how am i supposed to protect you from here" He muttered sullenly.

"i'm sure you'll figure something out" she replied dryly.

With one last rub on his head she slipped out of the guest room she had been given until she could find an apartment of her own.

"Ema-chan"

Emo blushed bright red at the familiar way Ukyo addressed her but turned to him anyways.

"yes, Asahina-san?" she asked while walking down the stairs, lifting the pants legs so she didn't trip over them while walking.

"call me Uyko, it will be confusing if you address everyone as Asahina" he chided her gently.

"very well, Ukyo-san" she smiled at him and received a dazzling one back.

She spent the next few seconds trying to remember that this man would be her brother soon.

"flirting with her already? how naughty"

Both Uyko and Ema blushed and turned away from each other, even knowing that they were doing no such thing.

"H-Hikaru!" Uyko exclaimed horrified " She's the same age as Yuusuke."

Well, yes there was that... And you know, the fact that they would be family soon.

Uyko was interrupted before he could continue to defend himself by the timer on the oven beeping. He shot a exasperated glare at the woman before hurrying towards the kitchen before whatever was in the oven burnt.

Ema took the time to look at the speaker and blinked at the women who looked back at her, she had long, wavy orange hair and dark green eyes.

She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but Ema hadn't thought there were any daughters in the family.

As much as she would like to question it she shoved her curiosity down.

"hello, i'm Ema" She introduced herself to the woman and gave a polite bow.

The woman grinned at her wickedly and bowed back at her.

"Hikaru Asahina"

A few minutes later Ema sat dazed, next to the woman who was chattering on like they were old friends.

"-of course you'll get the job. Uyko may look like a big bad lawyer but inside he's made of marshmallows."

She had never met someone with such a... big personality that she didn't know what to do, but it was almost comfortable to sit down and let some else do all the talking.

She let herself relax back into the sofa and listened without comment to the many conversation topics that Hikaru went through.

It was during this that the front door opened and in walked in two of the other brothers.

they both had beautiful violet eyes and while one had messy white hair that covered the right side of his face, the other had black hair that covered his left eye, his right side showed the glasses that were hidden by his hair on the other side.

Their was no way that they weren't twins, even with the drastically different hair color they looked identical.

She stood up to introduce herself once more, trying to adjust the huge clothing that she was practically swimming in.

She had barely moved when the white haired one froze and then hearts seemed to appear in his eyes.

"Kawaii!"

She didn't have time to dodge as he lunged at her.

The next thing she knew she was being squished against his chest and being swung around.

She was going to be permanently red if this continued, she thought exasperated.

She was saved from being the color of a lobster her whole life by the dark haired one who had casually slapped the back of his head to get him to let go.

"Sorry about Tsubaki." He apologized before continuing "I'm Azusa. Nice to meet you"

Tsubaki pouted at Azusa "i was just giving her a 'nice to meet you squeeze'. " He whined.

Ema let out a surprised laugh at the two and they turned and grinned at her.

"you two, you are getting too rambunctious." Uyko told them as he walked into the room with the tea he had promised earlier.

"Hikaru-nii!" Tsubaki bounded over to the woman, completely ignoring Uyko and Ema stared.

"Hikaru...Nii?" Ema said faintly.

Uyko glanced up at her

"Oh, yes. you wouldn't be able to tell but Hikaru is a man"

Ema stared at him for a moment before turning her stare to Hikaru.

She stared at him for a long moment, before sighing.

"even men are cuter then me" She pouted.

The tension that she had seen lining the other brothers eased out as they laughed at her teasingly.

She didn't want to make them think that she was uncomfortable with it, if this was who Hikaru was then she wasn't going to say anything about it. From what she had seen he was a genuinely nice person, if a little excitable, just because he happened to look like a beautiful woman changed nothing.

She was tugged off her feet and onto the couch right back next to Hikaru and she received a blinding smile from the man.

"You can call me Onee-chan" He told her while cuddling her like a big teddy bear.

Ema froze, there was no way he didn't now who she was with that comment.

She didn't have a lot of time to worry though because Hikaru just winked at her and Ema relaxed.

He wouldn't tell anyone.

She still blushed to her roots though as it sunk in what he had asked. The others didn't know and so it would seem Very familiar to get a stranger you had only met an hour ago to call you big sister.

But they acted like it was a normal thing, something you would every day.

She realized with a start that it was probable that they had just moved to japan from another country. As much as she could tell that Masaomi, Tsubaki, and Azusa were Japanese it was equally obvious that Ukyo and Hikaru were not, with Uyko's pale blond hair and blue eyes, and Hikaru's vibrant ginger hair.

It was possible that they hadn't even been raised in japan.

She almost opened her mouth to ask before she realized how rude it would be to ask. As a sister-to-be it would have been an okay question, if a little awkward, but right now he only knew her as a potential house keeper. She didn't want to seem nosy so she closed her mouth and just listened as the brothers laughed and chatted together, making sure to include her in the conversation.

VvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvVvV

Uyko smiled at the picture the three men made as they competed over Ema's attention like a bunch of kids fighting over a new toy, and it was only three of them right now.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of the head aches it was going to cause when all thirteen of them got here.

A grisly picture of Ema hanging in the air with only the support of the brothers keeping her from falling on the ground while they played a twisted game of Tug of war.

He shook the picture out of his head, he would make sure they knew to be gentle with her. He didn't know all the details about what was going on in her life but from what he could get...well... She had been very vague about her home life and her father

His face was grim as he thought of Ema's so called father.

He didn't know how someone could be so cruel as to throw her out of her own house, let alone her own father. Of course she hadn't said that exactly but he had put the pieces together enough to create a grim picture indeed. The least the man could have done was make sure she had some where to go.

His over active imagination could just be going in over drive but really what else was he supposed to think about an eighteen year old looking for a job as a maid of all things so that she could afford rent for an apartment of her own.

While he knew he shouldn't even be thinking about giving the job to someone who he didn't even know was qualified or capable of getting the job done, but really how could he refuse knowing that if he did she would be back alone in the world if he did.

He had defended enough people in the court to know how despicable some people in this world were. What if she got taken advantage of by some horrible pedophile or a murderer if he refused to give her the job.

He eyed the brightly smiling girl and sighed to himself before shaking his head to himself, there was no way he could refuse.

Hikaru was right- he was made of marshmallows.

VvVvVvVvVvV

A/N- I got such giggles while writing that last part.

I can just see Uyko putting the pieces together to create some horribly evil father and just the thought of how Ema has no idea what kind of picture she's creating for the Asahina brothers is enough for me to crack up laughing at how many misunderstandings are happening.

I'm trying to get all the brothers introduced but i want to make sure that i don't just stuff them in and then forget about them (*cough* Iori *cough*) and as much as i'm fond of the anime i really wanted more background histories for all the characters and it just sort of skipped most of that stuff in the anime.

This is so much fun to write. i'v already started the fourth chapter if you could believe it.

Some encouragement would be good, *wink wink*.

Any request about what you want to see in this would be welcome!


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